On Tue, 28 Mar 2000 18:52:00 +0000, Michael L. Dawley wrote:
> Hello all,
> I've spend a couple of days getting Freewwweb.com set up on
> several computers, using these browsers and dialers:
> ---------------------------
> Arachne 1.60
> Netdial 1.3
> Bobcat
> Lynx
> Quarterdeck Winsock
> MSIE 5.0 Stack and Dialer
> Nettamer(autologin and terminal)
> --------------------------
> All have been successful, eventually. All the bugs worked out,
> and 100% connections using Freewwweb.com.
> Until now...
> None will connect. The server answers the phone, and everything is
> fine until it gets to the password, then the negotiations fail.
> The password, by the way, is entered in several scripts, dialers,
> etc. on several computers, and did work, until now.
> --------------------------
Good work, Michael D., and thanks for posting your results.
> Some observations:
> 1. The Email on Freewwweb.com worked well, once I got everything
> set up correctly. I was able to send and receive Email throughout
> many tests, etc. Not once did Freewwweb.com send me a welcome
> email, or anything like that. If I wanted email on my Freewwweb
> account, I had to send it to myself.
> 2. My paid ISP accounts work fine. I have two of them.
> -------------------------
> Further information I have for other Freewwweb account holders
> wanting to get as far along as I am now<g>:
> 1. The DNS addresses are:
> 216.70.64.1 and 216.70.64.2
> 2. More instructions are at: http://www.freewwweb.com/quick/quick.html
> 3. I have determined that the" file" they want you to download is some
> sort of Internet Explorer .ini file to do with Freewwweb.
> On the Freewweb website, they ask that you use snap.com as your
> homepage, and indicate that if you do not, your account can be
> inactivated. The mechanism that enforces this, if true, would
> descriminate against Arachne and Net-T, for sure. I have heard that
> this is merely on the "honor system", so I have, with all the
> various dialers, browsers, etc. tried to prove it.
In the general sense of the term, an "honor system" is one that relies
on expectations of voluntary compliance, and having no mechanism for
enforcement. In the case of the Net-Tamer and Bobcat/Lynx browsers, there
is no such thing as a "default home page", as such is known to the
windozing world. Hence, no means by which one may comply. They ought to
be more understanding and they should give you a break.
> Now, if they have "caught" me using Net-T, etc. and not MSIE 5.0.
> why would they not send me a "warning email"? I cannot even get into
I agree that they most certainly should send you a "warning email" so
as to give you a chance to explain your problem with compliance. They
ought to set up a system that would permit you to use Net-Tamer or
Bobcat/Lynx provided you would drop in on their home page from time to
time. They could simply install a link on the home page saying "Text
browser users, click here". Then they would know that you had been
there and done that, and you could get a cookie to prove it.
One thing I don't like about FreeWWWeb is their advertising, which
appears most blatantly false. Their web page explains that there is
nothing to download and that you can use FreeWWWeb with any browser.
This does not seem to be the case.
> my Freewwweb.com email at all now...
> From what I can tell, they have a big server network here in
> Jackson, Mississippi, and I have contacted seven different machines
> in my tests. There are never any busy signals, the phone is always
> answered. Here's what Quarterdeck Winsock says when it trys to
> connect:
> PPP: Starting LCP negotiations
> PPP: LCP Open...
> PPP: CHAP authentication starting...
> PPP: LCP closing...
> PPP: failed...
> ---------------------------------
> In all cases, it's getting down to the password, and quits...
> I thought this would be interesting to you.
Yes, this is most interesting. Thank you very much.
Sam Heywood
-- This mail was written by user of Arachne, the Ultimate Internet Client
